Wagon tailboard latch



Aug. 27, 1935.

F. COOPER WAGON TAILBOARD LATCH Fil ed Dec. 11, 1953 5 Aki 1! i I INVENTOR vices for locking-the tail gates xoti vehicle bodies when in aclosed position andsupporting the 'taiFgateswhefi -i'rian open position.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple meansoflockingthe' tail gate to the body of the truck under spring tension byone end of a spring steel bar and supporting the tail gate in an openpositionapproximately. level with the floor of the truck by the'oppositeend of the lockingbar.

. appended claims.

In the drawing:,'

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a truck body 2 showing the tail gate inclosed position in full I lines, and the open portion in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a perspective elevation of the truck body showing thelocking bar disengaged from the lower portion of the tail gate.

Figure 3 is a perspective of the truck body showing the tail gate closedwith the locking bar engaging the lower portion of the tail gate.

Figure 4 is a perspective viewof the locking bar with the tail gate inlowered position and supported by the lowered end of thelocking bar.

Figure 5 is anenlarged detail showing the foot of, one of the lockingbars inlocked position.

- Figure 6 is an' enlarged detail showing the hook-like head of thelocking bar in locked position.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of Figure 6.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews of the drawing in which the letter A indicates a'truck body havingside members ID, on the upper edges of which are secured metal platesl2,.which are provided with apertures l3. The tail gate l4 extendsacross the ends of the side members [0 and is provided with recesses H,which, while the tail gate is in closed position are located beneathprojectingportions of the strap l2.

The tail gate I4 is shown hinged in the usual manner to the truck bodyfloor [5 by the hinge tion of the locking bars 23 and 24, the bar hav- AT 012,528 e WAGON, mandarin lis en iappu c tidnnecemt r ,11,fiesafsefial 'sj ai 1 invention rele ate a; immerse its;

- 7131" and 8- are, further. provide isto provide a device'that will besimple in structure, easyof operation and 5* ins-slidi a1 heagement with.trmities 'i itnliqinern tl n lerw 26 which are providedwith slots 21an,

extend 'parallelto the tail gate Marid wright angles to'slots 2| and22.

are provided.

Handles 23f and24 The locking bars 23 and24are provided at their upperends withopen hook-like heads 29 and 30 which pass through apertures I3of plates [2 and extend into the recesses H. The plates I1, I8 extendbeyond the plane of said recesses,

so as to providean abutment portion,,as illushead portions 29 and 30form abutments which.

.trated in Fig. 6. The extremities of the circular I I engage and 'bearagainst the abutment portions of the plates Hand l8, as indicated at 3|.The

structure is such thatwhen the lower ends of the locking bars 23 and 24are moved inwardly to-- ward the tail gate l4 and seated in the recesses21 edge of the tailgate I 4 inwardly against the ends of the side H] ,ofthe truck body, securing the 1' tail gate I4 in a GIOSBdIPOSitiOIl underthe spring tension of the locked bars 23 and 24. The lower extremitiesofthe loc king bars 23 and 24 are extended. inwardly and at approximateright angles, thus forming hand grips for the manipulation of thelocking bars. Whenthe locking bars '23 and 24 are moved outwardly anddisengaged from the flanges 25 and26, the tail gate l4 may and willengage the locking bars 23 and 24 in a sliding engagement and come torest at its upper edge against hand grips 23' and. 24- and be in openposition.

7 Having thus described one way of constructing and using the inventionwithout attempting to describe all of the ways in which it may beconstructed, or all'ofitsuses, what is claimed is: 1. In a tailgate, thecombination with a wagon body, a tail gate hinged at one edge to thewagon be moved downwardly on'its hinges I6 and I6 40 T firmly andsecurely supported bythe lockingbars body, anchor plates secured to thetail gate, each v,

anchor plate having an upper and lower; slotted flange, the slots of therespective flanges being disposed at right angles to each other, ,andlock-' ing bars having 'approximate1y-hook-like head portions looselyconnected to said body, said lock- V ing bars being engageable with theslotted lugs,

25 siliency of 'thehead portions, drawing the upper I 1 v each hook-likehead having an abutment end .s end of ananchorplate while the bar isengaged withsaid lugs, -wherebya yieldabletension is v applied to saidbars while. so engaged.

portion so positioned as to abut against the upp r 2. In aftail gate,the combination with a wagon body, a tail gate hinged at one edge'to thewagon body and having recesses in itsupper edge, an-

chor plates secured to the outer'face' oi the tail gate in sluchma'nnerasto have theirtupper ends projected above saidirec'esses'saidanchoriplates I each having a pair offrearwardly extendedslottedt lugswith the slots arranged'at right angles with respect to each other,:anda pairof locking bars Y each having ahook-like'head portion looselyengaging the wagon body and'locatedwithin a recess,.said locking barsbeing engageable with v thev slotted lugs, each heada'portion having anabutment end jso positioned as to" bear against the upwardly projectedends of the anchor plates :while thebar's are tengaged with the slottedlugs,

whereby aiyield'able tension is applied to the bars by theengagement-'ofjsaid abutment e ndsand saidjplate s 3. In a tail gate, thecombination with a wagon body'having sides, a tail gate hinged at oneedge to the wagon body and having recesses in its projecting portions sopositioned as toextend over thefrecesseswhile the" tail gate is inclosed position, locking bars having approximatelyv hook-likeheadportions loosely connected to said lates,.,- each head portionhaving" abutment end, and anchor plates secured to'the outer'surface ofsaid tail gate and each'having a pair of upper edge adjacent the endsthereof, plates secured to the upper edges of said sides and having Islotted lugs with the slots arranged at right an- 'gles to eachother,each anchor plate having an upwardly projecting abutment portionopposite ,toa ecess inithe tail gate, said locking bars be- 1ing'engag'eable' with" said slotted lugs, said abutmer t ends andabutment portions of the anchor plates being so constructed and arrangedas to apply a yieldable tension to-the locking bars whil in engagementwith saidjslotted lugs. it a

